There is a fact that has been neatly excised from Penn State trustee nominee Cliff Benson's biography in recent years: He used to serve on the now-defunct Second Mile youth charity's statewide board of directors.

View full sizeOld Main at Penn State, the administrative headquarters of the University,JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-New, 2012

Gov. Tom Corbett is apparently not afraid of the association.

A Corbett spokesman said Friday that while the governor does know of Benson's Second Mile affiliation, he sees no reason why that should outweigh a lifetime of achievement and service that Benson can bring to Penn State.

"The governor considered both appointees' full body of experience and public service involvement when making his choice," Press Secretary Jay Pagni said.

Sandusky was arrested in November 2011, about two-and-a-half years after allegations against him were first transferred to the state Attorney General's office - then headed by Corbett. (There are no signs that any additional children were molested by Sandusky after 2009, however.)

Corbett and several former members of the Sandusky investigative team have consistently dismissed those allegations, and countered that they took the time necessary to bring about a successful prosecution of a predator that others had failed to stop.

Add it all up and you might think it would have been easier for Corbett to pick someone whose nomination wouldn't dredge up these facts. (Benson's Second Mile service was first reported Friday morning by The Associated Press.)

As a retired accountant and tax attorney, Benson currently serves as chief development officer for the Sabres' organization. Besides Second Mile, he has a history of involvement in a wide range of charities and civic causes near his Sewickley, Pa. home.

David Woodle, who has overseen the Second Mile's dissolution, put Benson's work with the star-crossed youth charity into this context Friday:

He wasn't someone who would have had regular contact with the former Penn State defensive coordinator, or would have known about Penn State's alleged report of a Sandusky assault to Second Mile executives in 2001, Woodle said.

"Mr. Benson was a volunteer member of the State Board of Directors in the same role as all other directors," Woodle wrote in an email.

As a member of the finance committee, Woodle wrote, Benson "had general oversight review of the organizational finances... That would include tasks such as finance statement review and coordination with outside audit firms.

"He did not have any day to day role; just periodic board meetings."

Benson, a Penn State graduate, is one of two new gubernatorial appointees named to Penn State's 30-member board Friday, along with former Pennsylvania Lottery Director Todd Rucci of Lititz.

The nominations require a confirmation vote of a majority of the Pennsylvania state Senate.

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